Policies

Definitions

Early Cancellation – You have cancelled your Little Vikings reservation at least 2 business days ahead of your reservation start time.

Late Cancellation – You have cancelled your Little Vikings reservation less than 2 business days before your reservation start time.

No Show – If you do not call to cancel and fail to show up for a reservation at Little Vikings.

Repeating Reservation – A reservation made, for part of or, for the entire term on a repeating schedule.

Single Day Reservation – Reservations made for one day at any point in the term.

Wait List – If we do not have space available during the time you request, we will add your name to the wait list. You will be contacted, at least 24 hours ahead of time, if that space becomes available during the term.

Walk-In – When a parent walks in the door and asks if there is space for their child, or when any reservation is made or paid for less than 2 business days before start time.

Policies

Registration: Little Vikings requires all forms and /or online registration to be completed before care can be provided, regardless of duration of stay. Please print legibly on the forms. If we cannot read the information provided by the parent/legal guardian, you may be asked to fill out a new form.

Hours and Closures: Our hours change to provide coverage when the campus community needs it most. Please check our website for current hours. Make sure you know our closing time on any given day to give yourself enough time to arrive at our location in time. We do not accept any new children during the last hour of the day. Little Vikings is closed on all PSU holidays, including New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and the day following, and Winter Break campus closure. The best way to make sure Little Vikings is open when you need care is to make a reservation.

Parents in Play Area: Little Vikings is specifically designed for children aged 6 weeks to 12 years old. Only our staff members are permitted in the play area for extended periods of time; parents/guardians are not permitted to stay with their children in the play area except for short periods of time. Exceptions to this rule include 1) the child requires parental assistance to ease their drop-off at Little Vikings; 2) parents wish to have a tour before leaving their child in Little Vikings’ care; 3) Little Vikings' staff members have difficulty getting children to leave once parents return to pick them up; 4) any other reason approved by a Little Vikings staff member.

Check In: Please allow 15 minutes for check in. Children must wait until the check in process is completed or a Little Vikings staff member invites the child to enter the play area. Parent/Guardian must sign children in at the front desk. Parent/Guardian must give a firm return time. We will ALWAYS make every attempt to avoid calling a parent/guardian.

The following are reasons a parent/guardian may be called: child is inconsolable; parent is late for pick up; child exhibits unacceptable behavior and is not responding to staff redirection; child has a bathroom accident and extra clothes are not provided; any emergency situation; illness or injury; any other reason a Little Vikings staff member deems appropriate. Parent/guardian is responsible to notify Little Vikings if a time extension is needed.

Check Out: Children will never be released to anyone other than parent/guardian or others authorized by parent/guardian. Parents must sign children out at the front desk. The Little Vikings staff will do their best to return all items (diapers, sippy cups, etc.) that were left to provide for child; please always double check before leaving Little Vikings to make sure that all items brought were returned. Any item that is left behind (except perishable items) will be kept in our “Lost & Found” for one month from date of visit, and then discarded or donated.

Reservations: Walk-in care is available; however we highly recommend you reserve a space in advance. Once you reserve time, you may cancel it two business days before the reservation time. If you do not cancel within this time you will not be given a refund. If you do not show up for the reserved spot, you must pay for the unused time before you will be able to use Little Vikings again. This policy allows us to ensure that we have proper staffing for Little Vikings at all times. You may call and reserve space any time up to your child entering care in order to ensure availability of space for your child.

No Call No Show Policy: At the beginning of each term, Little Vikings and Baby Vikings are full to capacity. During the first week of term, many children do not show up to use their reserved time. When parents do not notify Little Vikings and Baby Vikings that they will not need the space, other parents are prevented from having their children moved off the waiting list into a care slot. In order to avoid this situation, Little Vikings and Baby Vikings are creating a new policy for repeat reservations that have a no call and no show on the first reservation for each new term. This policy will not affect a parent that calls and lets a Little Vikings/Baby Vikings staff member know that they need to cancel. This is only for those reservations when a parent does not call or show up for the first in a series of reservations. In this case, the parent will be notified via email and phone (voice message if no answer) that their reservation has been cancelled for the term. If the parent wants to re-reserve the space, they will be placed on the waiting list along with other waiting families. Little Vikings and BABY VIKINGS want to be able to serve as many families as possible and this policy will open up space up for families who need it.

Duration of Stay: Our walk-in facility is designed to care for children for short durations. The minimum charge is one hour. The maximum stay per day is one five-hour block. The maximum number of hours per week is 20 hours. Exceptions can be made for unforeseen circumstances. Also, we will be providing “day camp” days during times when the public schools are closed and PSU is in session, which will involve special schedules and pricing. Please contact the Director for more information about possible exceptions.

Payment: Reserved care must be paid for in advance. All payments are made online. Little Vikings does not accept checks or cash. Payment for walk-in care at Little Vikings services will be due at the time of each check-in, for the amount calculated by multiplying the time elapsed from check-in to check-out, in one hour increments, by the rates posted at the time of the visit. Payment must be made prior to care unless there are extenuating circumstances. Please contact the director for more information. Services will not be provided if your balance at Little Vikings is over $100. If you inform Little Vikings that you are receiving ERDC, you have 45 days from your child’s first day to get the information to your worker so that Little Vikings has a voucher. Otherwise, you will be responsible for payment until the paperwork is received.

Overpayments: Refunds for overpayment can only be processed within 180 days of the original payment.There is a 10% fee for the processing of any refunds. If you do not request a refund before the 180 days, you can use the credit here at Little Vikings or donate your credit to Little Vikings for student parents in need of childcare. If you have a credit of less that $10 and you do not notify us about what you would like, it will be donated to Little Vikings to provide childcare for student parents in need after one year of account inactivity. For donations of more than $50, you will be provided with a receipt for a tax deduction upon request.

Cancellation Policy: For reserved care, Little Vikings requires cancellation 2 business days in advance in order to receive a full refund. Cancellation less than 2 business days in advance will required to pay in full for the unused care. This is true even if you reserved the care less than 2 business days in advance. Payment for the cancellation must be made before the next visit.

Late Policy: In the event children will be at Little Vikings longer than the given return time, the parent must call to inform a Little Vikings to ask a staff member if there is space. If Little Vikings is not notified of an extended stay, cell phone contact will be initiated and the “late policy” will be enforced.

If your children are not picked up on time, the following protocol will be followed: 1) Parent/Guardian will be called on cell phone; 2) Other contact numbers of parent/guardian will be called; 3) Emergency contacts listed on the children’s registration form will be called to pick up the children; 4) Department of Human Services (DHS) will be called to pick up the children if parents/guardians or emergency contacts have not responded within one hour of indicated pick up time.

Late Fees & Additional Charges

Late Pick-Up Fee: If your child is picked up after our closure time, you could be charged a $10 late fee. If you are more that 10 minutes late, you will charged an additional $1 per minute after that.

Late Payment Fee: Payments are due at the time of service. You have been allowed to accumulate this balance with the understanding that at times as a student it is difficult to pay in advance. Payments that are over 30 days past due may be charged a $60 late payment fee.

Late Charges: All parents must give firm return times. This is to allow us to have proper staffing and keep us from going over maximum capacity. If a parent does not return by their indicated return time, they will be charged for the time elapsed after the reserved care ended. If parents fail to pick up their children by the time Little Vikings closes for the day, Little Vikings reserves the right to charge a $10 penalty, plus $1 per minute for each minute the parent is late after 10 minutes past closing time. If parents show a repeated pattern of not picking up their children on time (3 times or more) Little Vikings reserves the right to deny use of Little Vikings for the rest of the term or year.

Refund Fee: There will be a 10% refund fee for all refunds. This fee is to help offset the 16% that we are charged for refunding money.

What to Bring:

Infants and toddlers

• If your infant/child typically has a bottle during the day, you are required to send at least one prepared bottle.

• For children who are in diapers/pull ups, an extra set of clothes and additional diapers/pull-ups and wipes are required.

• If a child is potty training and wearing underwear, an extra set of underwear and change of clothes is required.

• All diaper bags, bottles, strollers, etc. will be tagged with the child’s name at drop-off.

• If your child is going to be at Little Vikings during a time when they would normally have a meal, you must send a meal with them.

• One special blanket or stuffed animals is welcome to help make your child feel more comfortable at Little Vikings

• Please mark your child’s belongings clearly and remember Little Vikings is not responsible for lost or broken personal items.

Preschool/School Age

• You are required to send a meal or snack if your child will be attending during their normal meal or snack times.

• School Age children are welcome to bring a chapter book they are reading, or homework to work on.

• Please DO NOT bring toys from home. Little Vikings has a variety of fun, engaging, games and activities to keep children busy.

• Please DO NOT bring electronics. Little Vikings has a variety of fun, engaging, games and activities to keep children busy.

Food and meals: We are a nut-free facility. If you bring a meal or snacks for your child, please be sure they do not contain nuts. If your child has a nut allergy, please notify us each time you bring your child to the center. In order to prevent transfer of nuts from home and reduce the spread of illness, children are required to wash their hands upon entry to Little Vikings. We have the ability to refrigerate and heat meals, but please do not bring meals that require preparation beyond heating. Please make sure meals/snacks are clearly marked with your child’s name. Please bring a meal or snack if your child is attending during meal times.

Nutrition Policy: Little Vikings is a State-Certified Childcare Center and follows the Office of Childcare (OCC) rules and regulations. Because parents are providing the food for their children, the OCC requires that parents must follow these guidelines for their children. If your child is attending during the following hours, please provide a meal as described below for your child:

Breakfast: 7:45 am- 8:30 am- Must contain a milk, a grain and one fruit or vegetable.

AM snack: 9:30 am – 10:15 am- items from two different food groups (dairy, fruit, vegetable, protein, or grain)

Lunch: 11:30 am- 12:30 pm- Must contain a grain, a protein, 2 fruits or vegetables and a milk.

PM snack: 2:30 pm – 3:15 pm- Items from 2 different food groups (dairy, fruit, vegetable, protein or grain)

Dinner: 5:30 pm- 7:00 pm- Must contain a grain, protein, 2 fruits or vegetable and a milk.

Only milk, water or 100% juice will be served. We will provide milk and water to drink for all meals and snacks at no charge. If you do not bring a snack for your child, Little Vikings will provide one at no charge. We will also supplement any meals that are not complete. For each food item that is supplemented in your child’s meal, you will be charged $1.

If your child has allergies or if you have food preferences for your child, please speak to the director or assistant director so that we can accommodate any special food needs your child may have. In addition, parents can bring more food than listed on this policy and parents may request that their child eat more often than these meal times. The times and amounts listed are based on the OCC requirements. These nutrition policies are required by the OCC rules [OAR 414-300-0280(5)]

NAP OR REST TIME POLICY: According to the Rules for Certified Child Care Centers, all preschools must offer and have a supervised nap or rest period for preschool age children. It also states that withholding rest from a child is not permitted and we cannot accept parental permission to do so. Because of these rules, we will have a quiet time for any child that is in our care and seems sleepy. We are very active with the children and encourage busy play which tends to wear children out quickly. We will not force any child to sleep but we will also not stop any child from sleeping. If a child is showing signs of sleepiness, we will offer a mat and a blanket to them.

electronics policy: Little Vikings serves children with a wide range of ages and interests. Therefore, Little Vikings has a gaming system and screen that will be available on an occasional basis. During registration, parents are able to indicate if they do not wish their child to use electronics. Children are always encouraged to participate in other activities and are only allowed limited time on gaming systems. Movies may also be shown as special events or to provide a quiet activity during rest time for older children. Movies and games will be age appropriate for the children viewing/playing the movies/games. We only allow games rated E for Everyone. Electronics from home are not allowed.

Illness: For the health and safety of children and staff, Little Vikings cannot accept into care any children with the following conditions or symptoms: Fever over 100 degrees; diarrhea; vomiting; nausea; severe cough; lice; unusual yellow color to skin or eyes; skin or eye lesions or rashes that are severe, weeping or pus-filled; stiff neck and headache with one of more the of the above-listed symptoms; difficulty breathing or abnormal wheezing, or complaints of severe pain. Children must be fever-free without medication and symptom-free for at least 24 hours before visiting Little Vikings. A child who shows signs of illness after admission shall be isolated from the other children. The child’s parent will be notified and asked to pick up the child as soon as possible.

Doctor’s Note: For the safety of our children,staff and parents, we request that parents/guardians bring a doctor’s note to verify that a child is cleared from exclusion if the child contracted:

• -Chicken Pox

• -Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease

• -Measles

• -Scabies

• -Whooping cough

• -Scarlet Fever

• -Salmonella

Immunizations: We require a copy of the child’s immunization records after their fifth (5th) visit. All children must be current on appropriate immunizations with the exception of medical or non-medical exemptions. All eligible exemptions should be reported to a Little Vikings staff member.

The Immunization Rates are as follows:

Adjusted Enrollment:38

% of children complete:84%

% of children DTap complete: 89%

% of children Polio Complete: 84%

% of children Varicella complete:87%

% of children MMR complete: 89%

% of children Hib complete:89%

% of children Hep A complete: 87%

% of children Hep B complete: 84%

% of children with nonmedical exemptions:16%

Current Multnomah County immunization rates for all school aged children can be found Here

Here is a graph of Little Vikings Immunizations Rates:

LV2018 ImmRate

Discipline: Little Vikings staff members only use positive methods of discipline and guidance that encourages self-esteem, including praise of good behavior, reminding children of behavior expectations, and, when appropriate for the child’s age and development, redirection and brief supervised separation or time away from the group, which is limited to no more than one minute per year of the child’s age. No corporal punishment, physical or verbal abuse, abusive language, or withdrawal of food, naps, or toileting of any kind is allowed. For the safety of all, parents will be called to pick up any child that exhibits repeated misbehavior or behaviors that physically hurt other children and/or staff members. For the safety of all, children that show repeated misbehavior or biting will be asked to take a two-week respite from Little Vikings. Longer separation from the program may be recommended based on the severity of the discipline issues.

Transition policy: It is part of the nature of child care services that young children may have a hard time adjusting to the new environment. Little Vikings encourages the parent(s)/guardian(s) to say goodbye to the child and let them know that they will be back to get them soon. This helps the child know that their parent/guardian is knowingly leaving and that he/she will be coming back to get them. Little Vikings staff are prepared to comfort, soothe and engage children in activities. In most cases children are able to be consoled and engage in the program. Unfortunately some children may be inconsolable regardless of any and all attempts made by the care providers. Recognizing that parents/guardians are attending to important appointments and should not be disturbed, every attempt will be made by staff to keep the child as comfortable as possible until the parent/guardian returns from their appointment. If a child is extremely upset and is unable to adjust to the environment after approximately 20 minutes, staff may call the parent/guardian to seek suggestions or alternatives for calming the child. If necessary for the well-being of the child, the parent may be asked to pick up their child. Please let a Little Vikings staff member know ahead of time if you anticipate your child may have a difficult transition and if you would like to be contacted.

Mandated Reporting: The staff of Little Vikings is required by law to report any instance where there is reason to suspect the occurrence of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, child neglect or exploitation to the police or DHS. Notification of the parent(s)/guardian(s) is solely dependent upon the recommendation of the police or DHS.

Disaster Plan: Little Vikings has a Disaster Plan in place and all staff have been trained on the procedures. The plan is available for review in our office. In the event of a center evacuation, parents will be contacted immediately. The relocation site is posted at Little Vikings (Hoffman Hall).

Nondiscrimination: Little Vikings does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. Little Vikings does not discriminate against any person with physical, mental or sensory disabilities. However, Little Vikings services do not include one-on-one supervision, therefore, Little Vikings cannot accept children whose special needs require one-on-one care. Little Vikings reserves the right to refuse service to any person or persons for legitimate business reasons, such as maintaining the safety of our facility and the children in our care.

Emergency Medical Contacts and Consent for Medical Treatment: Although Little Vikings tries to provide a safe environment, it is possible that your child could be injured. In the event that you cannot be reached Little Vikings’ trained staff will provide basic First Aid to your child. If more advanced care is needed, a health care professional will be contacted, or 9-1-1 will be called. A consent form will be provided at the time of your first check-in to Little Vikings.

Thank you for taking the time to read through our policies! If you have any further questions, please get in touch with us!